Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-07
Ic BUILDINGS AND PRISONS.

ana after listening 10 tne lllstructions VI His
Honor, proceeded to The jury-room and com
pleted our organization by electiDg Harry c.
Lathrop, Secretary.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND PRISONS.
On Friday, October 18th, the Grand Jury Wis
tied the County Jail and Court house. We found
neatness and order everywhere maintained,
and thorough system of management by the
officers in charge of their respective depart
ments.
We also visited the City Prison. AS to the
general management of the same heard 10
complaints. We found the prison in as good a
condition as circumstances will allow, on ac-
count of the place and premises as now located.
THE COUNTY HOSPITAL.
On Saturday, October Is, 1887, we visited the
County Hospital, and were received by super
intendent q. A. White. We arrived unheralded
near the dinner hour, and had an opportunity
to see the Inmates at the table. Judging from
the quality and quantity of the food provided
for them there should be no complaint IN fact,
many families of the laboring class, in both
city and county, are no. so well provided for as
our county poor. There are nine large wards
in the hospital for the patients and indigents,
seven for males and two for females, all of
which we visited and thoroughly examined,
and found to be clean and kept in neat man
ner. A new porch-floor has been laid around the
lower wards and all the porches of the hospital,
as well as the ante-roomS of the wards, have
been newly painted this summer at no cost to
the county, except for materials, the work be-
ing done by hospital labor Another and
much-needed improvement recently made is a
cement floor in the cellar The store-roo
milk-roor and butcher-shop have been rebuilt
on this cement floor and now
APPEAR NEAT AND TIDY,
a great improvement over the old condition of
things, wherein rat holes, rotten floors and bad
sdors were the rule. The cost for laying said
floor was Sl3S 20. There was no cost except for
lumber and material for reconstruction of store
rooms, etc. The out-bulldings are in a good
state of preservation.
The pest-house, which some of us visited
was found TO have been repaired and newly
painte with metallic paint. The Shone Pneu-
matte system of drainage being in use at the
Hospital continues to do its work perfectly The
drainage from the building is Kept upon the
county farm and can, by proper care, be made
profitable as 4 fertiliZing agent and for irriga-
ton.
SOME STATISTICS.
Number patients in Hospital, males, I42: fe-
males, %; total, I62. November l. 1886, AS: ad-
mitted during u months ending October 81, lSs7,
$50; total, S3S. Meals furnished applicants dur.
ing the year, ., 1856 During the last three months
there have been but few applicants for meals.
Number deaths ending November l, 1887 81; dis
missed, cured. relieved or sent to friends, 625;
remaining October 81, 1887, $50; daily aver
age patients, 147; employees, u; total, l59;
cost for food, clothing, bedding med
icines, etc, 81 5S3; monthly cost for salaries,
S735 Total, 06S. Per capita, patients S14 OF;
per capita patients and employees, S13.
We inquired after the manner of receiving
steward receives and weighs groceries, meats,
bread and keeps account of same, while Super
White makes frequent inspections of
all supplies and condemns and returns such ar
tcles as are not furnished according to contract.
The supplies on hand were examined and found
OF good quality, and gave little room for eriti-
cism Sacramento county has hospital of
which our citizens should be justly proud. 1t
should be well equipped ana intelligently man.
aged in order to satisfy
THE CHARITABLE INSTINCTS
Of our enlightened people in the disbursements
OF the hospital fund. AS in all public funds,
careful economy but not parsimony should be
the rule. We are informed that no material re-
duction in the hospital expense can be made
without gripping the usefulness of the institu-
ton, and we are not prepared to gainsay it,
though something might be done by refusing
when possible, to admit to its privileges non
residents of the county. There are now in the
hospital patients belonging not only TO other
counties but hatling from other States and Ter
ritories. We would call the attention of the
Hospital Committee to this matter. 1t is
great pleasure to US to say on leaving the hos
pital we were of the opinion that it was being
well managed, and, so far as we could judge,
DR.. White, the superintendent and Phi! stefan,
was the right man in the right place.
JURY CoREUPTIoNs.
Upon the charge of jury corruption we have
many witnesses and investigated as
fully as possible. We find that the Board of
Supervisors have not exercised due care in
making out jury lists, nor have they made out
lists as required by law. Each Supervisor makes
a list aud files the same in the County Clerks
Office and their several lists constitute the jury
list. These several lists were rot examined and
passed upon as q whole by the Board, nor were
the names placed upon their minutes or dupli-
cate copies kept by any member of the Board of
Supervisors. We find on the list number OF
names of exempt firemen and others exempt
from jury duty, this causing much unnecessary
expense. In the lists we have examined
WE FIND MANY ERRORS,
As follows Names scratched out and others
interlined The names of some men appear from
year to year on the jury lists for at least three
years past This, we think, has given cause 10
suspicion and distrust of the jury sys-
TEN. In view of this fact, we earn
estly request the Board of Supervisors to
exercise the greatest care in making out the
jury lists as contemplated by the law; to enter
names on the minute book, or retain duplicate
copy. In the multiplicity of evidence taken
upon the charges of jury-fxing, there is not
such evidence as to warrant US in making any
direct or positive charge or charges yet it is
quite sufficient and of such nature as to excite
or create in our minds very strong suspicion that
the G has been in the County Clerks Office some
improper manipulating or aiding in fixing jul
ries. This Office IS one of great trust and very
important, and should be maintained above
suspicion hence, to that end, no one should be
placed in responsible position or retained in
this Office whose official record is not clear pure
and untarnished. We therefore earnestly request
the County Clerk, believing it to be in his inter-
general public, to remove Immediately any
deputy upon whom suspicion may rest ana aI-
point in his stead one at least whose oEcial
record is clear, and thus remove the suspicion
and restore full confidence in said Office The
box in which the jury lists are contained we
find to be very old and very insecure,
and We recommend to the Board of Superb ors
to procure a more secure box for this purpose.
We found upon examination of the Great
Register that it contains II ,395 names, which is
several thousand in actual excess above the
he II
recommend to the Board of Supervisors that be-
fore the next general election they have made
Register in the most approved style, for accom-
mediation and accuracy.
CRIMINAL CASES.
We have investigated four cases, and exam
iued twenty-one witnesses in relation thereto,
and the cases were disposed of as follows:
Found one true bill assault to murder; found one
true bill for rape found one true bill for abduc-
ton; one bill ignored
OFFICERS BOOKS AND ACCOUNTS.
The Grand Jury examined the books OF the
County Clerk County Auditor and Recorder
County Treasurer, Sheriff, Assessor, County
superintendent of Schools, Public Administra-
tor and District Attorney. and found them kept
in a neat and busincss-like manner, ana were
much pleased with the simplicity OF the differ
ent systems now in use in these offices, and were
much gratiiied with the perfect uniformity ex-
listing between them, thus rendering,we believe,
the exporting of these offices a comparatively
easy task.
COUNTY LICENSE COLLECTOR.
This Office we find is closely allied financially
TO the Offices of County Auditor and County
Ireasurer-recelving all its license blanks from
the Auditor and paying all its receipts to the
Treasurer. You can at a glance determine the
amount of business DONE not only from the
Office ITSELF but from the County Treasurer or
County Auditor. Thus again are we reminded
of the completeness of the system, which is
alike commendable to all concerned.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PpBLIC SCHOOLS.
We visited this gentleman in his Office and
were pleasantly received by him and who
cheerfully laid before US the book in use in his
department and were given by him all the in
formation in his power as to the workings in his
Office which we highly commend.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR.
We examined the books of the Public Admin
istrstor and can cordially say that it is some
thing that is Il credit to that branch of the
county government. In cases that come under
his control by looking into the book you can see
at once how much each deceased estate is val
ued at both in personal and real property, also
the disbursements, and to whom paid and what
for.
THE COUNTY CORONER.
The book shown US in this office is kept in
good shape, showing all deaths on which in
quests are held, cause of death, place of same.
disposition of remains, etc; all expenses OF
conducting the same being shown.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
In this caiee the books show amount of delin.
also to whom paid; for which he holds receipts.